A STUDY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PIG 195 



DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 



The results will now be discussed under the headings of the 



four problems, and in connection with each a condensed tabular 



summary of the experiments will be offered, together with such 



comments as are necessary on the experimental procedure, the 



behavior of the subjects, and the significance of the various 



forms of response. 



PROBLEM 1 



This problem, for which the definition of the correct mechan- 

 ism is the first at the subject's right, proved extremely easy for 

 the pigs. Incorrect choices were surprisingly few, and the 

 number of trials necessary for the perfect solution of the prob- 

 lem was also surprisingly few for both subjects, the female having 

 chosen correctly throughout a series of ten settings at the end 

 of forty trials and the male having similarly succeeded at the 

 end of forty-five trials. 



As is indicated by tables 1 and 2, which contain all of the 

 data for this problem, the experiments were not discontinued at 

 this point, but each individual was given additional opportunity 

 to work out the problem. In the light of our later experience, 

 this was a mistake, but at the time we were unconvinced that 

 the animals were depending upon the relation of the correct 

 mechanism to the other members of the group, and we proceeded 

 further with our observations in. order to settle certain points 

 which were in doubt. 



From the first it was evident in connection with this problem 

 that the female was more intelligent than the male, and that he 

 tended to be markedly influenced by her. After observations 

 were discontinued with her on June 14th, he reacted very poorly 

 for a number of series, and then again improved and reacted 

 perfectly in the last three series given on June 15th. 



In this problem the total number of doors open in the ten 

 settings was, as may be seen by reference to the data presented 

 on page 191, thirty-five. Of these, ten were of course correct. 

 Hence the probability of a correct first choice apart from ex- 

 perience would be 1 to 2.5. In table 2, it appears from the data 

 of the last column for each individual that the ratio of correct 

 to incorrect first choices was on the first day of training 1 to 1 

 for the female and 1 to 2.33 for the male. It should here be 

 stated that in table 2, as well as in the like tables for the other 



